Manifold envelope strip



. March 5, 1940. c, w POTTER MANIFOLD ENVELOPE STRIP Filed Oct. 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Uor 116 J] March 5, 1940. w POTTER 2,192,559

MANIFOLD ENVELOPE STRIP Filed Oct. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES l PATENT OFFICE- 2 Claims.

This invention relates to a manifold envelope strip, which, although designed primarily for use in connection with pay-roll envelopes, is susceptible of use for various other purposes.

The rapid growth in recent times of social security measures, such as unemployment insurance, old age pensions and other measures, has seriously complicated the preparation and payment of pay-rolls, especially where a large number of employees is involved. These measures generally require contributions from the employees and that these contributions be deducted from their wages and retained by the employers. to be later accounted for and paid over to the proper authorities. This requires the keeping of accounts showing the wages paid and the various deductions retained by the employers, which accounts are subject to audit by the authorities administering the social security measures. At the same time, each employee must be given a statement of the deductions when he receives his wages. labor expended in the preparation and payment of pay-rolls.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of an envelope strip of the character described, which is adapted for use in the preparation of pay-rolls for eliminating a large part of the time and labor now required.

Another object is the-provision of an envelope strip which permits one or more copies of the data inscribed on the pay envelope to be secured with one writing.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of an envelope strip which permits the use of an addressograph machine for inscribing the permanent data thereon, thereby effecting a saving in time and labor.

' A further object is to enable the employer, if he so desires, to retain a copy of each pay-roll in the form of a continuous strip.

Other objects of the invention will be more specifically described hereinafter.

Briefly, my invention in its simplest form contemplates a continuous strip of paper of suitable width, having attached to its back face a continuous series of envelopes, the envelopes being spaced a slight distance apart and being fastened to the strip at one endonly so that they may be easily separated therefrom without rupturing the strip. The envelopes are preferably attached to the strip with their front faces in engagement with the back face of the strip, which back face is coated with transfer material ofsuitable area for reproducing on the front of the envelope This greatly increases the time and anything written or imprinted upon the front face of the continuous strip. The continuous strip may be provided with transverse'weakened lines between adjacent envelopes, permitting the strip and envelopes to be folded on said lines 6 zigzag to form what is commonly termed a fold pack" or flat pack. The weakened lines also permit each fold of the strip and the envelopes fastened thereto to be separated from the continuous strip. 1 10 Additional copies, the number of which may range from five to ten, dependent upon the character of paper used, may be secured by providing an additional continuous strip of paper for each copy desired and superposing them upon the 15 front face of the continuous strip to which the envelopes are attached. Preferably, all of these additional strips are of the same form as the strip carrying the envelopes, having portions of their back faces coated with transfer material in go separated areas, with a transverse weakened or perforated line in each uncoated. space, for permitting the superposed continuous strips to be folded zigzag on said lines to form a fiat pack and also to allow each fold to be torn off from u the continuous strip along said line.

If desired, the transfer material, instead of being coated on the back face of. each of the continuous strips, may be carried by separate strips interleaved between the strips carryingthe writgo ing or printing. This arrangement may be found preferable when a small number of copies is required, in order to eliminate the filing of copies having carbon material on their back faces.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my .5 invention,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a portion of a manifold envelope strip made in accordance therewith, looking toward the back face of said strip, and the envelopes fastened thereto; I 1

Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of a portion of a fiat pack formed by folding the strip on weakened lines, the folds being expanded to show the "formation of the pack;

Fig. 3 is a similar view in perspective portion of a fiat pack in close formation; Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion ofa modified manifold envelope strip comprising a plurality of continuous superposed record strips, the bottom strip carrying a series of envelopes fastened 80 to its back face for producing a plurality of copies of the matter imprinted upon the envelope;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the strip of Figure 4 shown in expanded flat pack formation;

.inodified form of strip in which the transfer material is carried by continuous strips interleaved between the record strips; and

Fig, '7 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the same similar to Figure 5. 1 Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings showing the simplest form of the invention comprising a single record strip and a series of envelopes, i0 designates a continuous strip of paper, to the back face of which is fastened a continuous series of envelopes l2 with their front faces in engagement with the back face of the strip. The envelopes may be attached to the strip by any suitable means but preferably are each secured thereto at one end only by a narrow band of adhesive Hi. The envelopes are spaced a short distance apart and in each space iii, the strip is provided with a transverse weakened or perforated line l8, which serves two purposes, namely, permitting the strip and envelopes to be folded zigzag on said lines to form a fiat pack, and the various sections of the strip with their attached envelopes to be separated from each other. For reproducing whatever is written or imprinted on the front face of the strip l0 upon the front faces of the envelopes i2, each section between adjacent weakened lines of the strip is coated with transfer material 20, the area of which may be varied to correspond with the area of the writing.

The continuous strip and the envelopes are preferably of approximately the same width and the envelopes may be made in any suitable manher. As shown, each of the envelopes i2 is made from a single blank and comprises a front part 22 and a back part 24, the latter being formed by folding over and fastening together two side portions and a bottom portion of the blank. The top end, which is open at 26, is provided with an adhesive coated flap 28 for closing and sealing the envelope.

In Figure 3, the envelope strip is shown folded zigzag on the weakened lines i8, as illustrated in Figure 2, to form a fiat pack 30, each fold being approximately the length of an envelope. The spacing of the envelopes on the strip contributes to the securing of a compact package in which all the parts lie fiat free from distortion. In this form, the manifold strip is ready for use.

In Figures 4 and 5 is shown a modified form of the invention for producing a plurality of record copies of the written or printed matter carried by the envelopes. In this form, an additional continuous strip 34 is superposed upon the front face of the strip I0 carrying the envelopes i2, and this strip is, on its back face which engages the said front face, provided with coated areas of transfer material 36 similar in location and extent to those on strip i0. Likewise, strip 34 has transverse weakened lines 38 corresponding in arrangement to the similar lines IS on strip iii. The strip 84 may be fastened to the strip ill by any suitable means such as adhesive, staples or other means, or it may be unattached. When the two strips l0 and 34 are folded zigzag on the weakened lines l8 and 38, as shown in Figure 5, to form a flat pack, the

strip 34 will remain in proper position in the invention. In this form, the transfer material is carried by continuous strips interleaved between the record strips and which may, after use, be removed and thrown away.

This form comprises a bottom continuous strip l0 having a series 01' envelopes i2 fastened to its back face by adhesive I4 and having areas of transfer material 20 on its back face and weakened lines IS, the strip and envelopes being identical with those shown in the first two forms.

superposed on me strip H! is a continuous rec-' ord strip 40 having transverse weakened lines 4!; then a continuous transfer strip 42 having transverse weakened lines 43 on its bottom face areas of transfer material 44; and finally on top a record strip 46 with transverse weakened lines 41. The weakened lines of all the strips are in register with each other and this is likewise true of the areas of transfer material on the transfer strips in and 42. The various strips may be attached together adjacent the weakened lines by adhesive, staples or other suitable means, or may be left unattached, since the folding of the superposed strips into a fiat pack will generally be sufiicient to retain them in proper relation to each other.

In use, the envelope strip in fiat pack form is placed on a suitable support back of the typewriter and the top end of the envelope strip is then inserted in the machine around the platen, with the back faces of the envelopes in engagement therewith and the top continuous strip exposed for writing. In the first form of the invention, the front face of the strip ill will be written upon, which writing will be reproduced by the transfer material on the front faces of the envelopes. In the second form,- the writing on the front face of the strip 38 will be reproduced on the strip l0 and envelopes l2; and in the third form, the writing on strip 48 will be reproduced on strip 40 and envelopes l2. As the writing on each section of the strip is completed, that section, including all copies and the attached envelopes, may be torn off from the strip along a weakened line or lines or the entire strip may be run through the typewriter without separation and refolded into a flat pack.

It will be observed that a manifold strip made in accordance with my invention is especially adapted for use in the preparation and handling of pay-rolls and that its use for that purpose has many advantages. The running of the continuous strip through a typewriter eliminates time and labor now wasted in adjusting separate envelopes with copy sheets in the machine, and, at the same time, secures the requisite number of copies with one writing. When the pay-roll is prepared on the typewriter, each envelope and its copy or copies as prepared may be torn off the strip, or the strip may be retained intact and refolded into fiat pack. After the pay-roll has been completed, the envelopes are then filled with the amount of cash in bills and change called for by each, and this may be done even arcane ties, as a result of this proceeding, have a full and complete copy of the pay-roll account with the acknowledgment of the employee of its receipt.

In the preparation of pay-rolls, each envelope contains certain data which is fixed and remains the same week after week, such, for instance, as

his name, address, position, rate of compensation, etc. This data may be imprinted upon the envelopes. and record strips very quickly by the use of an addressograph machine. Stencil plates containing the data are prepared in the usual manner and the manifold strip is then run rapidly through the addressograph machine, which stencils the information on the envelopes in rotation.

My invention is not to be limited, however, to this particular use, since it is capable of many uses where matter is to be imprinted on envelopes and copies of the matter so imprinted are desired. Neither is the invention to be limited to the particular form herein shown and described, since it may be embodied in numerous other forms, all within the purview of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. A continuous manifold envelope strip a'dap'ted for continuous feeding through a typewriting machine comprising a plurality of separate superposed continuous record strips of paper, a continuous 'series of spaced apart envelopes detachably fastened by a band of adhesive to the back face of the bottom of said strips with their front faces in engagement with said back face, each of said envelopes having an end opening transversely of said strips and a sealing flap for closing said opening, and transfer means for reproducing on the underneath strip or strips and envelopes whatever is written on the topstrip, said strips being provided with registering transverse weakened lines between the envelopes and being folded, zigzag on said lines to form a flat pack, each of said envelopes with its accompanying sections of said strips being adapted to be torn off said strips along said lines.

2. A continuous manifold envelope strip adapted for continuous feeding through a type writing machine, comprising a strip of paper of indeterminate length, a series of elongated endopening envelopes uniformly arranged end to end in spaced relation against one face of said strip, each said envelope having an open top end with an adhesive coated closure flap folded thereover and being detachably fastened at its top end only to said face, said strip having transverse weakened lines between successive envelopes, and transfer means between each envelope and said strip.

CHARLES W. POTTER. 

